Tuesday, June 06, 2006

manipulating public opinion

Pundits and politicians are actively trying to create a confrontation with Iran. They are manipulating public opinion right now by misrepresenting what has been said. For example, Iranian President Ahmadinejad DID NOT threaten to "wipe Israel off the map."

President Ahmadinejad was talking about the occupying regimewhich is a form of government. On Feb 20, 2006 Iran’s foreign minister said, "He is talking about the regime."

President Ahmadinejad also said in his speech that the issue with Palestine would be over "the day that all refugees return to their homes [and] a democratic government elected by the people comes to power."

In his letter to Bush, he asks, "are we to understand that allowing the original inhabitants of these lands - inside and outside Palestine - whether they are Christian, Muslim or Jew, to determine their fate, runs contrary to principles of democracy, human rights and the teachings of prophets?"

[ What President Ahmadinejad is saying is that the occupying regime would be wiped away by the very practice of true democracy. Allowing people regardless of what religion they are, to have the full rights that every American expects for him or herself. You can see why this fact gets suppressed by those serving a pro-Israel agenda. This is one of the unmentionable things in American media. So in American media distortions were broadcast about what President Ahmadinejad said. Those in the media are not going to allow the public to understand that the very practice of true democracy means the removal of the Zionist regime. The distortions are also part of manipulating the public into accepting a confrontation with Iran.]

President Ahmadinejad has clarified: "There is no new policy, they created a lot of hue and cry over that. It is clear what we say: Let the Palestinians participate in free elections and they will say what they want."

The media is not reporting the truth about what is really going on.* We are being manipulated by the phase "destruction of Israel" which masks the ugly reality: Israel denies rights to non-Jews, rights that we demand for ourselves. This is something mainstream media never makes clear to the public. When people talk about the destruction of Israel - if all the Jews and non-Jews in Israel lived totally equally, that would be, by definition, the destruction of Israel.Chomsky Video Clip

When fellow citizens try to give us warnings about these things, we should take them seriously. It is far too easy to not think about it and let fear of being labeled "anti-semitic" prevent you from even taking the time to think through the actual issues. It takes time to understand what the actual issues are and it takes care to not fall for the misrepresentation of what the issues are.

There are indeed Zionists that are using American power to advance their agenda at the expense of the American people AND so are others but that doesn't take away the danger from what Zionists are doing. They have successfully distorted the basic facts for large numbers of the public and that puts our democracy at risk. State power is being abused and Zionists are part of that abuse. The thing that makes it more dangerous is while we can criticize others that manipulate state power for their goals, when we criticize Zionists we get accusations of "anti-semitism" hurled at us. About the tactic of hurling the accusation of "anti-semitism" at those that speak out against Israel policies, Shulamit Aloni, former Knesset member, explained "well it is a trick, we always use it."

MR. WALLACE: You are very good at filibustering. You still have not answered the question. You still have not answered the question. Israel must be wiped off the map. Why?

PRESIDENT AHMADINEJAD: Well, don't be hasty, sir. I'm going to get to that.

MR. WALLACE: I'm not hasty.

PRESIDENT AHMADINEJAD: I think that the Israeli government is a fabricated government and I have talked about the solution. The solution is democracy. We have said allow Palestinian people to participate in a free and fair referendum to express their views. What we are saying only serves the cause of durable peace. We want durable peace in that part of the world. A durable peace will only come about with once the views of the people are met.

So we said that allow the people of Palestine to participate in a referendum to choose their desired government, and of course, for the war to come an end as well. Why are they refusing to allow this to go ahead? Even the Palestinian administration and government which has been elected by the people is being attacked on a daily basis, and its high-ranking officials are assassinated and arrested. Yesterday, the speaker of the Palestinian parliament was arrested, elected by the people, mind you. So how long can this go on?

We believe that this problem has to be dealt with fundamentally. I believe that the American government is blindly supporting this government of occupation. It should lift its support, allow the people to participate in free and fair elections. Whatever happens let it be. We will accept and go along. The result will be as you said earlier, sir.

MR. WALLACE: Look, I mean no disrespect. Let's make a deal. I will listen to your complete answers if you'll stay for all of my questions. My concern is that we might run out of time.

PRESIDENT AHMADINEJAD: Well, you're free to ask me any questions you please, and I am hoping that I'm free to be able to say whatever is on my mind. You are free to put any question you want to me, and of course, please give me the right to respond fully to your questions to say what is on my mind.

Do you perhaps want me to say what you want me to say? Am I to understand --

MR. WALLACE: No.

PRESIDENT AHMADINEJAD: So if that is the case, then I ask you to please be patient.

MR. WALLACE: I said I'll be very patient.

PRESIDENT AHMADINEJAD: Maybe these are words that you don't like to hear, Mr. Wallace.

MR. WALLACE: Why? What words do I not like to hear? [the words highlighted in red and edited out of the interview]

PRESIDENT AHMADINEJAD: Because I think that you're getting angry.

MR. WALLACE: No, I couldn't be happier for the privilege of sitting down with the president of Iran.